Improvement in machines for making horseshoes



I J. NEFF. MACHINE FOR MAKING HORSESHOES.

' Patented Sept. 16, 1862.

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'NITED STATES ATENT Fries.

JOHN NEFF, OF PRATTSBURG, NE? YORK.

Specification fOll'Xlll'lg part of Letters Patent No. 36,475, datedSepcmber 16, 1862.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN NEFF, of Praltsburg, in the county of Steubenand State of New York, have invented a new and'lmproved Device forMaking Horseshoes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a fulland exact description thereof, reference being bad to the accompanyingdrawings, making part of this specification Figure 1 being a perspectiveview of the device; Fig. 2, a longitudinal vertical section of the same.

Like letters designate corresponding parts in both figures.

It is the object of my improvement to combine in a single and compactdevice all the elements and conveniences necessaryin bending, creasing,punching, and calking horseshoes, so that by its aid they can be formedat the anvil with ordinary smiths tools at much less expense of time andlabor than usual.

The block A, with which all the parts are combined, is made of suitablelength and size for the purpose designed, and has at its opposite endsright-angled projections B B for fitting over the anvil, on which theblock rests, and to which it is secured by a setscrew, 0, or in someequivalent manner, as represented in Fig. 2.

On one side of the block A is situated a curved guide, D, and creaser,E, for bending the iron bar forming the shoe and creasing it by one andthe same operation. As represented in the drawings, the guide is madelengthwise of the block, forming in vertical cross-section aright-angled notch of suitable size to receive the bar. It is nearlystraight at the end where the iron first enters, but its curvature frombehind the creaser E to the opposite end is considerable, or sufficientto give a bend to the bar after it has passed through, approximating tothat of a finished horseshoe. On the base of this guide issituated thecreaser E, of suitable length for the purpose intended and at suchposition transversely as will form the crease in the proper place in thebar. It is substantially of the shape shown-that is, knifeedged With thefront nearly vertical and the rear side inclining toward the verticalWall of the guide.

The bar of iron is placed in this curved guide, resting on the creaser,and forged or beat by the hammer, being gradually moved along in thedirection ofthe arrow, Fig. 1, at the same time. As the bar movesforward and holds on the creaser, it is bent gradually by the curve ofthe guide, and when passed entirely through it assumes approximately theform ofa horseshoe, requiring but little fashioning. The inclined formof the creaser has a tendency to force the bar back against the verticalwall of the guide as it passes through, and thus assists in keeping itin place.v Thus the bending of the shoe and the creasing areaccomplished at one and the same time and by the simple operation offorging or beating. After the shoe has been bent and creased the nextoperation is punching the nail holes therein. To accomplish this, Isecure a punch, G, of suitable size, in a bed, H, on one side, ofsimilarshapein cross-section with the guide D, the vertical wall ofwhich isjust such distance from the punch as will bring the latter intothe crease when the side of the shoe is placed thereon and against theWall. The blow of the hammer is then only necessary to punch the hole.After this operation the calks are to be formed and sharpened. Thetoe-calk is formed by welding a piece of steel to the forward part ofthe shoe and then bending it down at right angles thereto; and theheel'calks are formed by bending the rear ends of the shoe down in thesame way. It is considerable work to bend these calks down in theordinary manner over the edge of the anvil, and to accomplish thepurpose in a more expeditious and less troublesome way I the top of theblock, the larger corresponding in size with the toe calk and thesmaller with the heelcalks, and into these openings the calks arerespectively inserted and bent by forcing the shoe down by positivepower or by repeated blows of the hammer, or both. This arrangement isvery effective and saves much expense of time and labor. After the calksare thus bent the toe-calk is sharpened in the usual way, but theheel-calks are sharpened in a much more expeditious manner, as follows:In one end of the block is made a notch, L, ofa width corresponding withthat of the heel-calks, and having an inclined bottom, a, as representedmost clearly in Fig. 2. Back of this notch is pivoted a camlever, M, the

make two holes or openings, land K, through cam 11 of which plays in thenotch, and is of substantially the shape represented. As the lever isturned the are described by the point of the cam (represented by dottedlines, Fig. 2) is such as to touch the inclined bottom a at a depthabout equal to the length of the calk, but sufliciently removed at thetop to leave the proper thickness of the calk. In Fig. 1 the lever isshown in a position with the cam commencing to act, and in Fig. 2 it isshown with the cam just finishing its action on the heelcalk, indicatedby red lines. By simply placing the heelcalk in the notch and turningthe lever over the calk is sharpened with the proper bevel.

The whole arrangement of the block A with its parts is very simple, andis perfectly adapted to its purpose. It is intended for usein ordinaryblacksmiths shops, where more complex and cumbersome devices cannot beused. It is applied to an anvil by the turn of a screw, and possessesall the elements for forming horseshoes with dispatch and with half thelabor and trouble of making them in the ordinary way. It saves theexpense of an additional workman in turning or bending shoes, dispensingwith a sledgeman in creasing and punching,all of which maybe done by thehand-hammer. The block is intended to fit on the base or the square partof the horn of the anvil.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. The cam-lever M, with its cam b, in combination with the notch L,provided with an inclined bottom, a, arranged substantially as hereinset forth.

2. The device for forming horseshoes, consisting of the block A,provided with the curved guide D, creaser E, punch G, openings I K,inclined notch L, and camlever M, the whole arranged, combined, andoperating substantially as and for the purposes herein specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JOHN NEFF.

Witnesses:

P. B. SHELDEN, G. J. CLERK.

